The Strongest Connections......

 
This week started with a fabulous connection

We are all first cousins, eight in the UK and two in Australia, unfortunately the one in the USA couldn't make it this time. In typical family fashion everyone talking at the same time, which doesn't actually work on zoom, however it was great fun, especially as I haven't had contact with the Australian cousins since childhood. It took an hour and a half before we could all say goodbye, promising to do it again. 

A very quick pop over to see Son&fiancé, just long enough to present swap and a garden cuppa.

Hubby agreed to theatre with me, online of course but still a big deal for Hubby. We always try to support Red Rose Chain for all the great community work they do. Alice was pure nonsense and fun, which is exactly what they were aiming for. 

We were both so impressed. Knowing how their huge cast off 20 filmed all their action totally alone at home in front of a green screen, for the small group of backroom people to use tech wizardry to pull it into this amazing production where often three or four characters are all interacting together, sometimes even a song and dance number, and the end where all the performers are on stage together for the finale. WOW!

Of course my strongest connections are with our two children and it definitely works both ways. As I said we had a quick garden cuppa with Son and when we sat down fiancé had waiting for me a hot water bottle and blanket and it was so cosy. Knowing we'd be outside Christmas evening I quickly ordered some hot water bottles as soon as we got home. When they arrived there was two boxes as Son had ordered some for us too! 

Flowers in a box arrived with the postman, the photo card inside was from Daughter, R, E & O. When I messaged Daughter with my thanks she told me it's a monthly subscription Christmas present 😍

Hubby loves being busy and like an excited elf he's getting ready for our different Christmas day. We won't see Son except on a video call but Daughter and family are coming over but not into the house. The plan is to have our dinners in our own homes then they will all come for a garden gathering evening. So far Hubby has twinkly lights up, gazebo up and well strapped to the ground and building to keep the worst of the weather off us but still very ventilated especially when we unzip the back as the fire pit will be just outside. I have pillows to go on all the seats and a mountain of blankets plus those hot water bottles and my small patio heater. So different to our usual but should be fun. 

I know it's only Thursday but it's Christmas Eve so I'll post this week's now and wish you all a Very Merry Christmas And let's hope 2021 becomes a covid free year. Until it is stay safe, protect others and find ways of caring and being kind to each other. 

The Wrapping Week.......

 Turned really chilly at the weekend and wet but still managed a cuppa outside on Saturday with Daughter and R so the dog could have a garden run. 

Sunday Hubby had requested Italian style meatballs on pasta, so I made a very simple tomato bolognaise sauce. As I was leaving the room with Hubby's in hand I heard something drop to the floor hitting a few things on its way. Sure enough when I returned I discovered it was the large serving spoon that had been perched on top of the tomato sauce. So I cleaned the cooker and the floor then turned to throw the kitchen paper in the bin and realised most of my kitchen now looked like a chicken pox breakout. I cleaned up then finally sat down with mine. Monday and I'm still finding splashes on the front of the freezer and up various walls!             

Back in the summer when Daughter had a bit of a sort out of the pottery stuff lurking in our shed she decided these pots were not worth glazing so I rescued them. 

Covered with hessian or wool and painted with acrylics and ready to use as gifts. (Don't think the recipients read this blog) 

Really sunny and mild on Monday and very pleasant for our on-your-own-drive coffee morning.

Hugh Grant was a Graham Norton guest and spoke about this so we watched. Six episodes and it kept us guessing and doubting our guesses right to the end. 

In total contrast Hubby loves all the corny Christmas films. This one I watched with him. 

Wednesday evening had been advertised as the Doorstep Carol Concert supported by all the local radio stations. 

Obviously no group photo as we are all so far apart, but thought you'd want proof we froze for the cause (lazy me sitting) 

And every day I've been wrapping!

Hope........

 Lovely friendsM&S brought this round as a get well soon gift. M makes them up herself. We are all hoping to share tea and biscuits with them in the garden very soon. 

I'm now on the BCG treatment which will hopefully stop the recurring and persistent bladder cancer for good. Two down four to go then maintenance top-ups.

This week the UK started rolling out the first Ffizer Covid Vaccine outside trial conditions. The biggest hope to combat this pandemic. Not sure how soon we will be offered it, or if I can have it while on the BCG so I may have to stay isolated a bit longer. 

Actually popped to Felixstowe for pleasure not medical. Had a lovely long walk along the prom down to friendsK&J who run a tea, coffee and cake beach hut takeaway purely for charity. I haven't seen friendK for at least 18 months. Then down to the pier for another cuppa with friendM  who I haven't seen for 10 months, then we walked back together to where we had parked. Stayed dry and walking kept us warm enough. So lovely to chat in person and not just via the internet. 

Still hope to find my missing earring, a casualty of the mask on mask off outing 

R has a friend in the US, a teenager with amazing and diverse general knowledge and we are all pleased when she joins us on quiz night even sometimes from a hospital bed as sadly she has poor health. Her name is Hope.

E has had interviews for a new job, fingers crossed for her. 

We all need hope! 

Stay safe x

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Planning, Plotting, Paying, Posting......

Watching the Ps with no Qs!

Probably not relevant just smiled at a catchy title. 

Pen action getting the Christmas cards written. They will all have to go into the regular post as the Scouts local post service isn't happening this year, which must be a huge loss of income for them. 

Pulling all our Christmas out of the loft. 

Paying our respects remotely. 

We couldn't attend my cousin's funeral due to the Covid restrictions so we attended via the webcast. So glad that we could but sad that we needed to. I attend funerals to support the living and unfortunately this way doesn't let them know I was there. 

Perfectly pretty, big tree in the lounge (thank you R).

Petite and pretty tree on the dining room window sill (thank you O). 

Planning Christmas day with Daughter and wanting not to relax carelessly, so we won't have them inside for dinner but hoping we can make the day special some other way. 

Palaver with this week's sainsbury click and collect. Hubby arrived at 8am as always but the guy had given our full order to the wrong customer. Hubby hung around for about 45 mins while they tried to sort it out. The wrong customer hadn't unpacked it so said she'd bring it all back and collect her order, however she couldn't do that immediately and agreed to get back for 10:30am. She will put our frozen stuff in her freezer till then. So Hubby came home and went back. Our breakfast crumpets became nearly lunch. OK mistakes happen but sainsbury made an apology refund of £3 which I thought disgusting but Hubby just shrugged. 

Puff pastry mince pies are my favourite but the sainsbury ones are not, so this click and collect shop included ready rolled puff pastry and a jar of mince. For ease I made pin wheels....... then forgot about them so quite a bit overcooked. Still edible! 

PayPal is my preferred way to pay for online purchases. 

Plus the hospital procedure I'm having does make me pee a lot! Or is that too much information? 

Perhaps you can enjoy your bit of post lockdown flexibility but stay safe please.

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Looking For Projects........

 

I think Hubby is getting a bit bored now with lockdown! He's done all he can in the garden for now and he's washed the cars and motorbike and even connected up another outside camera, plus the weather isn't always suitable for being out there. Saturday he got up and stated that in his head he'd rearranged the lounge as the TV makes him slightly twist to the right as it is now. 

He moved everything except the TV unit (needed to all stay plugged in) but put the large coffee table with the TV on top in situ, moving sofas on his own without moving the carpet and this furniture is soo heavy. I didn't get involved but took photos of course and told him they were for evidence as to why he had a heart attack! 

We ended up sitting either side of the chimney breast, if we had visitors (like the olden days) then I wouldn't be able to see those on the other end of the 3-seater, I had no space for a table/ my tea/ knitting etc within reach and he sadly confessed the window was still reflecting off the TV screen! I made him lunch and I sat in another room with mine. 

When he'd put everything back nothing more was said 🤣

Well at least it got dusted and vacuumed behind everything. 

Sunday he's working out how to change all the plumbing in the downstairs loo! After lots of discussion and forcing me to come up with the design changes (so it's my fault if it looks horrid) he has ended up with a list of plumbing changes, lots of carpentry, floor laying and decorating. You'll definitely get to see before and after photos when it's done........ which I'm guessing won't be till possibly next summer.

I'm also trying to finish a few projects that may be Christmas presents (photos when/if anything gets finished and after it's gifted), plus reluctantly spending time surfing the online retailers, like wading through treacle!

Saw the Urology Consultant yesterday and we will be starting the preventative treatment next week. I'm so grateful that Ipswich Hospital are still providing all this so quickly when so many hospitals are struggling with covid overload.

Next project will be getting all the Christmas decorations out of the loft. 

Stay safe. 

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Moving into Happy Season Early......

 

All I'm hearing at the moment is Christmas and actually although it's still mid November that's fine. Normally I find this far too soon but with this year not being normal at all everyone needs the sparkle back in their lives. 

This has been a "nothing exciting to report" week. Covid swab last Saturday, into hospital Tuesday 7:30am, surgery eventually about 3pm (I was so hungry), home for lunch on Wednesday. Consultant said all went to plan and they now need to wait for lab reports and the big team meeting to decide on best preventative treatment. 

I'm fine apart from an irritating cough which is probably from the anaesthetic tube. Totally spoilt by Hubby and cheered by flowers, cards and lots of love and kind wishes.

The Waiting Game.........

 

As this week starts....
We are all waiting to hear the US election final count and waiting for Trump's next tantrum. 

Waiting for a vaccine. 

Waiting for Brexit to be finalised. 

Waiting for deliveries. 

Waiting for something exciting to happen to brighten the very limited days we now have. 

And I'm waiting for my surgery date, pre-op assessment later this week. 

Son had bought two retractable wind breaks to make their outside space last longer for outside visits, but decided only to fit one and very kindly offered us the other. After much deliberation Hubby managed to fit the main case to the pillar and create a mobile anchor post using our garden sunshade stand. So we can block the wind from one side or the other of our undercover space. 

Unfortunately this lockdown2 has outlawed any garden meetings from different households. 

Wednesday 11th our usual neighbours group gathered outside, all wearing poppies, and observed the two minute silence at 11am. Just before we could hear in a nearby street the local piper and he ended the silence with his bugle. NeighbourA had passed on a message a few days ago letting him know we will be outside, so shortly after his duties he walked into our close to specially play for us. 

Very sad this week when we heard a younger cousin had lost her battle with life, a battle she had fought so bravely for so many years. As far as I know this had no connection with covid 19. We are waiting to hear if there are any funeral arrangements, while they are waiting for their eldest who lives overseas to urgently fly home.

As always I was suspicious when answering my mobile from an unknown number. The young girl introduced herself as from the Suffolk Home But Not Alone Scheme. I knew the scheme existed as contact details are all online. They are calling through the list of registered clinically vulnerable and checking people are OK and if there is anything they need help with. We are very fortunate not to need them but so lovely they are making the first move when so many may feel they shouldn't contact them. 

As this week ends......

Biden is President elect - although Trump is still waiting for his legal action to correct that (he's got a long wait) and I've now read Milania is just waiting to leave the White House to divorce him. 

Still waiting for the vaccine, and seems some major progress reported this week. 

Still waiting for Brexit to be finalised. 

We've no expected deliveries at the moment. 

I've given up waiting for something exciting so I'm not disappointed just thrilled when it does happen.

And surgery date is 17th November, so not much waiting!  

I hope you are happy with all you are waiting for. 

Stay safe.

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Is This Back to the Future?...........

Saturday and Boris announced the whole country is to lockdown again from Thursday for a month, that's the whole month of November! I'm not sure I've ever emerged from the lockdown that started in March! 

Today is also Halloween. We've had our own traditional family Halloween since our children came along and carried it through for the grandchildren too.... but not this year. However, just in case other local children did trick or treat I didn't want to disappoint them. So I had a big bucket of sweets ready and the plan was to put a small amount into the small bucket and pass it out on the long pole to maintain distance. Nobody knocked. 

 I've finished my lacy infinity scarf which can be worn in many ways. Wide enough to be pulled down as a shawl or pulled up as a hood, left long or wrapped twice. 

These are dreadful photos but you get the idea. 

(I've since cleaned the bathroom mirror) 

This has been a medical week with a blood test Tuesday a CT Scan on Wednesday and a Cystoscopy on Friday. Oh well it got me out of the house! Unfortunately they did show the bladder cancer is back and I'll need more surgery. 

I wonder if all this year's Halloween sweets will keep till next year? While packing them away I decided to empty all the popping candy into a little jar (to sprinkle on ice-cream perhaps) as these little packets looked so much like fancy condoms. I know I've got a strange mind. 

And that's about it for another week. So while the sun is shining and Hubby is busy washing his bike and both cars (that have barely gone anywhere) I think I'll find a couple of outside jobs too. 

Stay safe.

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Gifts, Crafts and Other Stuff.........

Well I looked at the green round squash in Daughter's donated veg box and wondered what to do with it. Hubby doesn't like it as a veg so I've never bought one. Google helped me out and I chopped it into big wedges (boy are they hard to cut up) and roasted it first then diced some into the stew. The rest I blitzed into a puree and made this spiced ginger cake. Not my usual sweet sticky kind but good none the less. 

Having cancelled our Cornwall trip we couldn't give Son his special present actually on his birthday and had to wait until he popped over this week. It was a photo book marking birth to 40. He really liked it. He's now rocking the scruffy covid hairy style hahaha

He had also brought us their surplus cooking apples which became a cinnamon sponge with caramel apples on the bottom. When I remembered I wanted a photo this was all that was left. 

R is a gamer for the role player games like Dungeons and Dragons and has started collecting sets of fancy dice. She had seen various multi pocket dice bags and wanted to make one. So a rummage through my fabric stash and finding a round tray to draw round for pattern size she was off. 
I stayed in the room for a little guidance and to help when my sewing machine needed a nudge and she did a great job.

Another purchase! We know how to spoil ourselves! 

Quiz night felt a bit odd with Daughter away and R here there was nobody to zoom with, so three of us here and R had two of her US friends online and I had to message Daughter for one answer and we totalled an amazing 47 out of 50! We were caught out by the tie break question of total age of the queen's grandchildren which came to 256 I think. 

Actually another amazing number, as my two sisters and I all have October wedding anniversaries and added to our fourth sister's last number we have totalled 179 years living with our own men! We deserve medals 🏅 🏅🏅

With covid numbers rising, stay very safe everyone.

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I Really Don't Like Shopping......

 
I do like having new things and I do like giving gifts, but I hate shopping! 
I hate physically dragging round shops when most of the stock looks the same to me, then trying different shops that seem to have exactly the same stuff as the previous ones but you have to check just in case.

Even when I know what we want/need and what we don't like I find it so hard to make that final decision and have actually got it very wrong a few times. For our own home improvement things Hubby is just as bad! 

With lockdown I was relieved to have the excuse not to physically shop but turns out I'm just as bad online! 

Lovely surprise very very early Sunday morning when O appeared at our window. Together with Daughter and the dog they'd gone for a sunrise walk and ended up here. So garden cuppas and Hubby drove them home. 

20th October 1973 was our wedding day. 

I managed to find a suitable card in my very depleted stash, but Hubby actually went into a shop for mine!!!

After a long interruption from a windows salesman (we didn't break), I made Hubby his favourite cinnamon buns. We had to test them still warm and then I iced the rest. 

Roll on the next 47 years 😉

A bit more online shopping for a friend's birthday. Spent three days looking at beauty hampers and cheese&chutney hampers etc with lots of indecision, then finally settled on flowers with wine and chocs because that's often what she gifts to others so know she'd like it. Thankfully I managed to ask in conversation how she was celebrating and found out her chap has booked two days away. So I'm ready to order and have it delivered a day early....... then the online form wouldn't work on my tablet or on my phone GRRRR. Managed eventually the next day, but I do hate shopping! 

Daughter is now at Kentwell for the Halloweenies event. She forgot to cancel her veg box so brought it round, she also brought R on Wednesday and the dog on Friday and we will all be together till 1st November. 

Have a good week and stay safe.

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Jabba Jabba........

 
Our Saturday started with our booked flu jabs. We normally refuse them as we have both felt very unwell with them in the past, Hubby's last one was about 10 years ago and mine about 40 years ago! However, this year it's different of course and there's very reasonable pros and cons that were worth considering, the main ones were....

- If I'm not going anywhere or seeing anyone I'm far less likely to come into contact with flu so I don't need it! 

- If I do get a winter illness I'll know it's not what I've been vaccinated against so I do need it! 

Our main surgery in the town centre (we normally use the local annex) is set up for the whole day just for this and it's very efficient and well managed to keep everyone safe and moving through quickly. We went in to one clinician as a couple and I got the pneumonia jab too. 

The morning after report is my flu arm feels a bit bruised, my pneumonia arm is fine, but Hubby said he had a very restless achy night and felt yuk all day Sunday. 

By Sunday evening both my arms were quite painful, thankfully no other aches but I couldn't sleep on either side so my turn for a restless night but Hubby slept well. Monday morning apart from feeling a little sore at the actual injection point Hubby is back to normal, both my arms still hurt. Wednesday night I could finally sleep on my side comfortably. 

Winter TV schedules now giving us a bit more variety and good to have some favourites back like 

So impressed how they are managing covid 

restrictions and can still produce programmes. 

Hubby has picked up his advance motorbike rider course again after the instructor took a covid pause. Hubby isn't too bothered about the qualification but as a bloodrunner he should have it and is quite enjoying the experience. 

Just as I was thinking that was all the uninteresting news of the week, last night that changed. Sitting relaxing with TV on, just before 9pm there was a huge bang, definitely at the front of the house, much louder than a bird hitting the window, and we both jumped out of our skins! 

Hubby tentatively checked around the house, putting outside lights on and looking through curtains then eventually brave enough to open the front door, nothing! 

We have cctv so brought up the cameras on our phones and after a lot of scrolling back and forth discovered this.....

That cat is walking in front of the camera sited by our bedroom window, so he must have jumped from the fence between us and next door and landed on the roof across our front door and bay windows, hollow roof so hence the bang! It obviously did make me physically jump as I've broken a spring under my seat 😒

Till next week then, stay safe. 

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Beautiful Autumn........

 
My favourite season. I like getting back into jumpers, thick socks, wrapping in scarves, heating on and comfort foods and of course all the beautiful colours of nature. So far in our garden it's mainly the pyracantha or fire thorn full of berries ready to feed the birds. We've four of them around the garden so they won't go hungry. This photo was zoomed right in because I'm not going out there while it's raining so hard and I can't see the others from the house. 

Monday we managed our on-your-own-drive coffee morning, all wrapped up warm then melting a bit each time the sun came out. 

It was the same on Tuesday when Daughter, R and the dog came over but less sun so it was only a one cuppa visit while shivering outside.

Wednesday FriendsT&F came for a garden tea/ cake/ chat and it was lovely, we last saw them early March although we do use messenger often. It wasn't warm! 

Our garden is large and open and sweeps around the house at the top of a hill, so it's always a case of deciding which way the wind is blowing and move the table and chairs to a place for shelter or shade accordingly. 

Lucky they came when they did as Thursday was raining again! 

This week our Son turned 40. Sad we couldn't celebrate it with him on the day but with most things this year it's postponed until we can. 

All grown up now but still so cute 😍 

Seems a short one but if I've nothing else to report I'll not bore you any longer! Stay safe.

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